Thread: Another New Plane From Terry Gordon

The other new planes are the Snipe Bill Planes. Terry is rather pleased with the way the Side Rebates(Side Snipes) and Snipe Bill Planes have turned out. I get my sets at the end of Feb. Anyone else put there hand up for a pair yet?
I will post back once I've had a chance to play for a week or two, so you can have a mug novices point of veiw.
I'm looking forward to trying a tapered sliding dovetail and learning a thing or two about Snipe Bills with the Hollows and Rounds.

All the best
Kevin

Tom I am surprised Fletty busy since when

Hello Kevin,
Have you had a chance to put Terry's new planes through their paces yet?
I am particularly interested in what you think of the snipe-bill plane.
Cheers
SG

Originally Posted by Scribbly Gum

Terry has produced a new pair of side rebate planes that look very nice.
Here is an extract from his website:
Your side rebate plane will cut up to 7/8” (22mm) for the life of the blade. You may be able to push this to 1” (25mm) in some cases when the blade is new but you will find the wedge will impede some shavings when cutting over 7/8”. When trimming the walls of a dado or grove whether the walls are vertical or angled for sliding dovetails the depth of cut will depend on the width of the dado or grove. You will find for dados with vertical walls the depth of cut equals the width of the dado. If you are doing the groves for dovetail joints the depth will be slightly less than the width at the narrowest point. You need to allow for this when marking out your joints.

This is the ideal plane if you wish to make/modify sliding dovetail joints to be tapered. These planes will cut the male and female parts of these joints with ease. You will obviously save a lot of time if you remove the majority of the waste wood with a saw or router and use these plane to do the trimming work.

Another use for these planes is when making mouldings. The side rebate plane fit the bill for cleaning up the vertical walls found in complex mouldings.



Be nice to see a review of these, but if they are anything like Terry's other planes they will be very good indeed



SG

I haven't seen one of these in the flesh, but I am struggling to understand the geometry of the blade setup.
It is also not clear from the picture if the base of the plane is flat or tapered - Kevin, can you enlighten us?
If it is flat, how does it plane the female part of a sliding dovetail?
Also, how is the blade adjusted for cutting depth after repeated sharpenings?
Can anyone explain this?
Mucho puzzledo
SG

Hi SG,
been a bit busy of late but i've had a chance to play.
Yes both the Snipe Bills and the Side Snipes (side rebates) work well. They work very well. So much so that I've ordered the in between sizes of the Hollows and Rounds which I'll have in a week or three.
Under normal circumstances I'd pop a few photos up for you but things have been a little out of contol this end. (I have had wife ill for a few weeks and in hospital for the last week. Home last night, doing well(ish).)
Will try to get pics in the next day or two.

Just buy both the SnipeBills and the Side Rebates you wont regret it.
The blade for the Side Rebate is very interesting and works a treat. The pics I'll post soon will tell all.
Sorry for the delay.
Kevin

good luck on the home front Kev, let us know how you are all going,
fletty

Hi Tom

I saw these on Terrys site a week or so ago (and he has a new presentation - v-e-r-y nice!). I am particularly interested in the snipe bill planes.

A few points for note ...

How does Terry's side rebate planes ...



... effectively differ from these:



and these:



I do not see any of them as special for sliding dovetails. Yes, they may be used to create them, but they are not specifically designed to do these joints. Nor can Terry claim that they are intended for the male section of a dovetail ... he ends up planing to a line ... HNT GORDON - USING ROUNDS

None of this is intended as a criticism of Terry or his planes (I am his biggest fan), but just a reality check that these are planes intended for dados and grooves, which are square, and not sliding dovetails, where an angle needs to be catered for (and having said that, thse planes are indeed very useful in forming this joint).

For the male section of a sliding dovetail you need a dovetail plane (one that forms the dovetail angle as it planes) ...



Do not confuse with the Snipes Bill plane ...



... which is a molding plane (and I want both left and right!)

HNT Gordon and Co Classic Plane Makers Australia

As far as I know, Terry and C&W are the only two planemakers producing this plane. And Terry's looks amazing!

Regards from Perth

Derek

Here are a few pics of the HNT Gordon Snipe Bill and Side Rebate planes for those of you who want a closer look. I agree with all Derek has said about the side rebates.The primary function of the side rebates is for trimming dados and grooves. The length of these tools, approx 9" , is the thing that sets these things apart from the Veritas and LieNielsen. It allows for good registration in the dado or groove up to 7/8th". They are not as easy to set up as the V or LN but they are just as effective and as efficient.
I have spoken to Terry about the possiblity of adding angled fence to the side rebates but he said the cost would blow out too much. More importantly he stressed that the primary purpose is for the Dados and Grooves. All the same it is possible to trim both the male and female portions of a sliding dovetail. Its not as efficient as using a dedicated dovetail plane, such as the lovely tool Derek has made as pictured above or an electron burning router, but it is just as effective.
I only know of one additional plane maker that offers the snipe bills Derek http://www.msbickford.com/msbickfordsnipesbills.html

I also find the Snipe Bills great for creating, defining, the little bit of depth and ledge that is useful for cutting the side of a dado. So , you define the edges of your dado/groove with your cutting guage/marking knife. Then, instead of chiseling out some of the waste to the line to form a guide to saw along, you use the snipe bill to maintain the vertical wall and as it gets deeper is also cuts a little into the waste side making the perfect kerf ready to guide the hand saw. Works for me.

No action shots tonight and probably not for a bit.
All the best
Kevin

Originally Posted by Scribbly Gum

Terry has produced a new pair of side rebate planes that look very nice.
Here is an extract from his website:
Your side rebate plane will cut up to 7/8” (22mm) for the life of the blade. You may be able to push this to 1” (25mm) in some cases when the blade is new but you will find the wedge will impede some shavings when cutting over 7/8”. When trimming the walls of a dado or grove whether the walls are vertical or angled for sliding dovetails the depth of cut will depend on the width of the dado or grove. You will find for dados with vertical walls the depth of cut equals the width of the dado. If you are doing the groves for dovetail joints the depth will be slightly less than the width at the narrowest point. You need to allow for this when marking out your joints.

This is the ideal plane if you wish to make/modify sliding dovetail joints to be tapered. These planes will cut the male and female parts of these joints with ease. You will obviously save a lot of time if you remove the majority of the waste wood with a saw or router and use these plane to do the trimming work.

Another use for these planes is when making mouldings. The side rebate plane fit the bill for cleaning up the vertical walls found in complex mouldings.

Be nice to see a review of these, but if they are anything like Terry's other planes they will be very good indeed

I've been using one for a little while now, and it's been such a pleasure to use. Cuts so nicely from the box, and goes where none of my other planes go. I love TS too